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SO TODAY AT APPROXIMATELY
9:30 A.M., THERE WAS A MAJOR
EXPLOSION THAT DESTROYED TWO
BUILDINGS, EXPLOSION WAS BASED
ON A GAS LEAK.
THE IMPACT AFFECTED BUILDINGS
AROUND THE TWO THAT WERE
DESTROYED, VERY HEAVY IMPACT ON
THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS.
A HEAVY FIRE HAS ENSUED, AS
WELL.
FIRE IS NOW UP TO THE FIVE-ALARM
LEVEL OF RESPONSE.
AND F IT FDNY IS CONTINUING ITS
EFFORTS TO CONTAIN THE FIRE AND
THEN IN THE COMING HOURS TO
FINALLY PUT THE FIRE OUT.
THERE WAS NO WARNING.
NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO EMPHASIZE,
EVERYTHING I'M TELLING YOU IS
BASED ON PRELIMINARY
INFORMATION.
THIS IS THE BEST INFORMATION WE
HAVE AT THIS MOMENT AND IS BY
DEFINITION PRELIMINARY.
BUT FROM WHAT WE KNOW NOW, THE
ONLY INDICATION OF DANGER CAME
ABOUT 15 MINUTES EARLIER WHEN A
GAS LEAK WAS REPORTED TO CON
EDSON.
CON ED DISPATCHED A TEAM
IMMEDIATELY TO RESPOND.
THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED BEFORE
THAT TEAM COULD ARRIVE.
AS SOON AS THE EXPLOSION WAS
CALLED IN, FDNY RESPONDED
LITERALLY WITHIN TWO
MANIPULATIONS MINUTES OF THE
CALL FOR HELP.
FDNY IS NOW, AGAIN, IN THE
PROCESS OF PUT SOTING OUT THE F.
CON ED IS IN THE PROCESS OF
SHUTTING DOWN ALL GAS MAINS
GOING INTO THIS BUILDING.
BUT THAT IS A DETAILED AND
COMPLICATED PROCESS THAT
REQUIRES DIGGING UP THE GROUND
AND A LOT OF MANUAL LABOR TO
TURN OFF THE DIFFERENT SUPPLIES
OF GAS TO THE BUILDING.
THIS IS A TRAGEDY OF THE WORST
KIND, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO
INDICATION IN TIME TO SAVE
PEOPLE.
WE KNOW WE HAVE LOST TWO PEOPLE
ALREADY.
WE KNOW AT THIS MOMENT,
PRELIMINARILY, 18 ARE INJURED.
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INJURY.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE
A SEARCH THROUGH THE RUBBLE OF
THE BUILDING AS SOON AS THE FIRE
IS PUT OUT.
LOOKING FOR THOSE WHO ARE
MISSING.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MISSING
INDIVIDUALS.
I EMPHASIZE THAT THOSE WHO ARE
MISSING COULD WELL BE SAFE IN
ANOTHER LOCATION AND JUST NOT
CONTACTED YET OR REACHABLE YET.
BUT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
MISSING INDIVIDUALS, AND THERE
IS GOING TO BE A THOROUGH SEARCH
TO TRY AND FIND OR LOCATE EACH
INDIVIDUAL.
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXTENDED
OPERATION.
THIS WILL TAKE QUITE A BIT OF
TIME TO FULLY ADDRESS THIS
ISSUE.
TO ACHIEVE THAT, WE HAVE ON THE
SCENE 250 FIREFIGHTERS AND
DOZENS OF PIECES OF EQUIPMENT,